Michael Ball | New Music And Songs | Michael Ball About Michael Ball A regular face on British stage and television, performer Michael Ball was born in 1962 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, U.K. Moving to South West England when he was three years old, Ball grew up learning to sing along to records by Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, and after an unhappy stint at boarding school in his teens -- and discovering a love of Shakespeare during school holidays -- Ball went on to study at the Guilford School of Acting. Graduating in 1984, his first role was in the Aberystwyth Arts Centre’s production of Godspell, but his major break came a year later when he took on the role of Frederick in the Manchester Opera House’s production of The Pirates of Penzance. Ball secured his first West End role playing Marius in Les Miserables and two years later, in 1987, he took over the role of Raoul in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at the request of Cameron Mackintosh.

A performance in Aspects of Love in 1989 -- on both sides of the Atlantic -- saw Ball’s popularity grow, and with the release of the single "Love Changes Everything" from the show -- which went on to reach number two in the U.K. singles chart -- he became a household name. After a few not so successful follow-up singles, Ball was chosen to represent the U.K. in the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden. Coming in at a respectable second place, the track "One Step Out of Time" would pave the way for his debut album. The self-titled release reached the top of the U.K. album chart, and the following releases Always (1993), One Careful Owner (1994), and First Love (1996) all reached the U.K. Top Ten.

Returning to the stage in 2002 as Caractacus Potts in the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Ball would continue to wow audiences with his performances and went on to take the lead role in the 2007 production of Hairspray, earning himself the 2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Edna Turnblad. Splitting his time between stage, radio, and a recording career, Ball continued to release albums throughout the noughties, most notably 2005’s Music and 2007’s Back to Bacharach. In 2011, he released Heroes, a collection of covers featuring songs that had inspired him to become a performer. Both Sides Now followed in 2013, and featured a reworked version -- performed with Il Divo -- of his original breakthrough hit "Love Changes Everything." Ball returned at the end of 2014 with the album If Everyone Was Listening…, which brought together 15 of his favorite songs. The release saw him joined by vocal harmony group the Overtones on the track "Let It Be Me," originally recorded by the Everly Brothers.

He returned in 2016 with Together, a collaborative effort with close friend and tenor singer Alfie Boe. The release featured performances of classics from Broadway shows. The pair toured nationwide that winter, performing at 18 of the country's most prestigious music venues. ~ Rich Wilson, Rovi Answers of the Les Miserables Quiz (Les Miserables Online) Who is the original book author of Les Misï¿½rables? Come on man, this is so obviously the answer is 4. Victor Hugo. If you answer 5. George W. Bush then you probably need to find a doctor lol Question 2 Who is the composer of the musical? For this one, since I am asking the COMPOSER, so answer is 1. Claude-Michel Schonberg, but if you include 5. Alain Boublil I still consider as correct, but Alain Boublil is the librettist. I don't have to explain who Andrew Lloyd Webber is, Rolf Lovland is the composer of "You Raise Me Up", Mireille Mathieu is a famous French singer (also described as one who can match Edith Piaf).

Question 3 When and where does the musical first opened? This one is 3. 1980, Paris, London West end opens in 1985, and Broadway opens in 1987. Question 4 Who wrote the English lyrics for this musical? The answer is 3. Herbert Kretzmer, if you pick David Foster or Michael Crawford I don't know what I can say. Question 5 Which character below is not a character from Les Miserables? OMG if you miss this one then you don't know Les Miserables, it is 3. Armand. Armand is a character in musical "Once on This Island". Question 6 Which character below exist in all the generations in the story of Les Miserables? Obviously 5. Both 1 and 3 (Valjean and Javert), Marius is a young man in the later part of the musical, it is impossible for him to be in all generations. Question 7 Which song is the lyrics below belonged to? "Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me...what your sacrifice was for?" Well if you listened to my singing of Marius, SO OBVIOUS it is 2.

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Question 8 Which of the following songs did not exist in the earlier French version? WOW when I first designed this quiz I put my answer as 5. On My Own, coz that song I am 100% sure it is not in the earlier French version, but I found out EponineJavert is correct, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables and Bring Him Home are also not in it. I found out the earliest original is kinda different from the one we are listening now. Question 9 Which character is the leading singer of the song "Do you hear the people sing"? OF COURSE it is 1. Enjolras, don't tell me you don't know who sings the most famous song in this musical lol Question 10 Which of the following song is a song in Les Miserables? This one maybe a bit tricky, I dreamed a dream is obviously in it, but people probably may not know which part is "The confrontation", it is a duet between Valjean and Javert when they meet again. Question 11 Who is the parent of Cosette? Answer is 4. Fantine, 3.

Jean Valjean is something like her "step father" or "guardian". Question 12 What is the another name of Jean Valjean as a mayor? If you don't get this correct I don't blame you, as I intentionally make this tricky, answer is 2. Madeleine. I only make slight different spellings in all the answers. Question 13 What is the name of the cafe of the base of the revolutionary students? SO OBVIOUS it is 3. ABC Cafe. Don't think since this musical is called "Les Miserables" so the cafe is LES cafe lol. Question 14 Which character below did not die at the end? Answer is 4. Marius, at the end Marius, Cosette (and I think also Thernerdiers) did not die. Question 15 Which role did Filipina Singer Lea Salonga played in all kinds of performances of the musical? It is 4. Both 1 and 2 (Fantine and Eponine), she plays Eponine in 10th anniversary concert, and play Fantine in Broadway recently. Btw she is amazing and beautiful.

Question 16 What is the name of the French version of the song "A Heart full of Love"? Well if you use translator to translate the song names it is easy to guess: le = the, coeur = heart, au = with, bonheur = happiness. So the answer is 1. Le coeur au bonheur. Question 17 What is the ending song of Act I in French version? At first I thought it is "Do you hear the people sing?", but seems like I found some information that it is "One Day More", which is the same as English version. So maybe somebody please verify it~~ Question 18 In the 10th anniversary concert, there are 17 singers from different country sing the song "Do you hear the people sing?" at the end, which character are those 17 singers in their country's production? YES, it is 2. Jean Valjean, you can find this performance on youtube. Question 19 Who ever played "Marius" in west end production? HAHAHA, if you answer 2.

Michael Ball you are WRONG, greek tenor Mario Frangoulis also played Marius in west end production before, so answer is 5. more than 1 of the above. You can find his performance in youtube too, I think they both can rival each other, two best Marius Ive ever heard. (Aled Jones and Josh Groban are totally not relevant to the role "Marius") Question 20 What is the relationship between Enjolras and Marius respectively? It is 3. Leader/friend and member/friend, if you pick 5. Gay lover (male part), gay lover (female part) I would guess that you are gay lol. Question 21 What song does these lyrics belong to (French lyrics and answer the name of the equivalent song in English)? "Oh!

Mes amis, pardonnez-moi Eddie Redmayne, 'Les Miserables' Star, On Sets That Smell Like Dead Fish & Singing Till You Bleed | The Huffington Post Eddie Redmayne, 'Les Miserables' Star, On Sets That Smell Like Dead Fish & Singing Till You Bleed 12/18/2012 08:30 am ET | Updated Dec 18, 2012 Christopher Rosen Managing entertainment editor, The Huffington Post When Eddie Redmayne isn't giving support to some of the biggest stars in Hollywood -- recent co-workers include Michelle Williams and Hugh Jackman -- he's busy being the next big thing. That's why the New York Times used 1,200 words to profile the 30-year-old British actor this past Sunday , and why he's negotiating to co-star opposite Channing Tatum in the new Andy and Lana Wachowski film .

It's also why Redmayne has awards buzz: He's a dark horse candidate to earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his "Les Miserables" role, an impressive feat considering the film also features lush supporting performances from big names like Russell Crowe and Sacha Baron Cohen. In "Les Miserables," Redmayne stars as Marius, the romantic lead of the film's second half, an upstanding youngster who falls head over heels in love with Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). It's a role Michael Ball made famous in the original London production of "Les Miserables," and it provides Redmayne with a stand-out moment: a heartbreaking rendition of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables." Redmayne spoke to HuffPost Entertainment about landing the "Les Miserables" role, why this might be his last musical, and how the set smelled when Hathaway sang "I Dreamed A Dream." (Hint: Bad.) "Les Miserables" is a film that's epic in scope. How much did the expansive nature of Tom Hooper's vision help you performance? I found it incredibly helpful. The set that Eve Stewart had created was extraordinary in scale.

But what Tom is amazing at is that he's not precious with the set. The scene of building the barricade: Tom had 30 students and 50 background artists playing peasants. He had five cameraman dressed up as peasants. He said, "10 minutes worth of stock in the cameras. Build a barricade. Action." Furniture was being thrown from above. It was complete anarchy and carnage. Your 7-year-old-self was in seventh heaven. You didn't even know where the cameras were; you would catch a glimpse of them somewhere. So while he built all these sets, they were used as real settings and even filled with horse dung. On the set where Annie [Hathaway] did "I Dreamed A Dream" there were thousands of rotting fish corpses and the place stunk to high heaven. Although they were sets, they felt cold and real. Tom was aspiring to see condensation in our breath even though we were shooting in studios. We built the barricade in 10 minutes. We assumed the designer would have brought in a new set for the barricade, but Tom liked it so much that they kept it together. The barricade we built became our barricade.

What was the audition process like for you, as someone not known for being a singer? I sang when I was a kid, but I haven't for about 10 or 12 years. I saw "Les Mis" when I was 9 or 10, however, and wanted to be Gavroche. I loved the piece. I had worked with Tom before in an HBO film about Elizabeth I with Helen Mirren. So I knew Tom and I knew that I would love to play a part. I was on a set in North Carolina and recorded myself on my iPhone, singing this song. It was really just to show my agents, who didn't know I was interested in singing, that I enjoyed singing and wanted to have a go at this part. That was the start of a really rigorous process that I could only describe as "X-Factor" or "American Idol." The last audition was in front of Tom, Nina Gold, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, the producers at Working Title, Cameron Mackintosh, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil. They all sat behind us in a panel. What was extraordinary was that everyone went through that: Hugh, Russell.

Samantha Barks, who plays Eponine and has done it so extraordinarily on stage, went through that again. What was your final audition song? It was "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and then "A Heart Full of Love." Claude-Michel, who composed it, got so passionate and into that he made me sing that bit in "One Day More," where I have to come in and grab a flag and sing quite a high note; a rousing note. I hadn't prepared that. He was like, "Eddie, you must try this!" I thought, "Oh, God." I grabbed my balls and gave it as good a belt as I could. "Empty Chairs" is show-stopping moment in the film. How difficult was that to film? What was interesting about the shooting of "Les Mis" is that most characters have their seminal song. I listened to the Michael Ball version of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" since I was a kid. You'd arrive on set one day and you'd hear the crew going, "Oh my God, have you heard Annie's 'I Dreamed A Dream'?

It was spectacular!" Gradually, you'd move through the schedule and hear, "Oh, did you hear 'Bring Him Home'? Astounding!" Tom, almost in a sort of sadistic way, kept moving "Empty Chairs" further and further along. I think he was making up for the fact that years ago, when we had worked together before, I had lied to him about my horse-riding prowess. He kept moving it along and then it sits on your shoulder like a gremlin. The day that it came, I knew I had to give it everything. We did about seven takes and Tom said, "I think we got it." I was like, "No, Tom. We have to keep going. I have to literally bleed this song so when I see it in the film and I'm disappointed by it, I know at least I've given everything I can." Tom told me that the last take -- the 21st or 23rd take that he used. I quite like that. How much collaboration did you have with Tom? A massive amount. He was incredible collaborative. Certainly during the rehearsal process, we sat with Tom and the Victor Hugo book adding things.

Stuff that didn't work in the musical or plot points from the musical that you don't need to investigate because of the distance from stage to the audience. The fact that, in the book, Marius' grandfather is very wealthy and Marius has given all that up for his political beliefs. Adding those moments with the grandfather in a way to show that this guy had a political agenda that he was willing to give everything up for. Similarly, the moment where he takes the gun powder and threatens to blow up the barricade. That came from the book. Tom was brilliant like that. He's a wonderful leader and team player and everyone brought their elements too it. Was there anything that from the book that you weren't able to add that you wanted to? The musical itself is two hours and 45 minutes. Knowing that a film audience has no intermission, you have to play it through. It's tricky. You want to add all this detail, but you needed to keep the story fiercely focused. For example in the book, Marius spies Cosette the first time and spends seven months stalking her before they get together. In the theater world that becomes a love-at-first-sight moment.

For me, it's the same as "Romeo and Juliet." Love never works as first sight -- or it does, but in a theatrical way. What I liked was having seen Baz Luhrmann's film of "Romeo and Juliet" and how you can find a moment of two people investigating each others' faces. That was exciting for me and one of the moments that I thought we could make work on film when it's more tricky to work on stage. Do you ever want to do another musical? I don't know, man. It was an extraordinary thing, but it felt like a very specific thing. Never say never, but I'm not sure. I love going to see musicals that could be interpreted, like "Cabaret," that aren't the same production. One of the great things about doing the film version of "Les Mis" was that the more you scrutinize the text and lyrics, it really holds up. So those are the musicals that I enjoy.

Les Miserables premiere Michael Ball | Biography Michael Ball Fan Club Biography 1980s – Pirates of Penzance (Manchester Opera House); Les Miserables (West End); Phantom of the Opera (West End); Aspects of Love (West End and Broadway). 1990-4 – Debut album Michael Ball and first UK concert tour; second album Always enters chart at No. 3; 30 date UK tour. One Careful Owner (1994) goes gold; debuts on BBC Radio 2 as presenter; The Best of Michael Ball earns Michael fourth gold disc in three years. 1995-2000 – Concerts at European Youth Olympics in Bath and the Rugby World Cup at Twickenham; recreates role of Marius for the 10th Anniversary Gala Concert of Les Miserables at the Royal Albert Hall. First Love enters chart at No. 4, goes gold; Steven Sondheim’s Passion (West End); Michael Ball – The Musicals cd and national tour; launches Wednesday Lottery Show on BBC TV; performs at BBC Proms in the Park and at the Royal Variety Performance. Records An Evening With Michael Ball for BBC TV; 7th album Movies goes platinum.

Theatregoers Club of Great Britain vote Michael Most Popular Musical Actor over the last 21 years. Michael plays in the Millennium with an outdoor concert in Kuala Lumpur. 2000-2 - UK tour; This Time…It’s Personal cd includes; promotes video Live At The Albert Hall in the USA; Australian tour; two week season at Donmar Warehouse; Centre Stage goes gold; video release Alone Together; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (West End) as Caractacus Potts. 2003-5 – new cd A Love Story and major UK concert tour; Australian concerts, American concert debut in Salt Lake City; plays opposite Petula Clark in BBC Radio 2’s live concert production of Sunset Boulevard; Alone Together show at Theatre Royal Haymarket; double cd Love Changes Everything – The Essential Michael Ball goes gold; performs for members of the royal family in Les Miserables at Windsor Castle.

2005 – Woman In White (Count Fosco, right, with Maria Friedman as Marian) (West End/Broadway); presents ITV’s ‘This Morning’; five week sellout UK; Music sells 250,000+; debuts with the New York City Opera as Reginald Bunthorne in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience. 2006-7 – new cd One Voice; open air concert tour; hosts BBC Radio 2 Special Michael Ball Celebrates Anthony Newley at London’s Hackney Empire. BBC Radio 2 series, Ball Over Broadway; UK tour, debuts with the English National Opera in Kismet; debuts at the BBC Proms with An Evening With Michael Ball; cd Michael Ball – Back To Bacharach; opens to 5 star rave reviews in Hairspray. 2008 – Hairspray breaks box office records and becomes the most successful show at the Shaftesbury Theatre in forty years; open air summer tour dates include Hampton Court and Kenwood House; Michael Ball’s Sunday Brunch on BBC Radio 2. Wins whatsonstage and Olivier Awards for Best Actor In A Musical.

2009 – March release of Past & Present – The Very Best Of Michael Ball which goes top ten in first week; performs in West End production of Hairspray till July; UK tour September/October 2009. 2010 – Tours the UK as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray; continues to front his own BBC Radio 2 show; debuts as TV chat show host on August 16th on ITV1 with The Michael Ball Show; records tracks for his new album, Heroes, for release March 2011; Hairspray tour continues in Dublin and Edinburgh; Love Story opens at the Duchess Theatre in London’s West End on December 6th with Michael as producer. 2011 – January to March Michael Ball’s Sunday Brunch on BBC Radio 2; March new cd Heroes released through Universal Music TV. On March 21st Michael and Imelda Staunton co-present the 2010 Olivier Awards which are held at the Grosvenor House Hotel. On May 1st, after an incredible 57 weeks on the road, Hairspray comes to a magnificent end in Bristol.

Michael’s UK and Ireland concert tour Heroes Live follows; dates include two nights at the Royal Albert Hall. November 14th Universal Film UK release live concert dvd Michael Ball – Heroes Live. 2012 – February 26th at the Savoy Theatre, Michael performs at an evening of music, comedy, poetry in aid of Mane Chance Sanctuary and Shooting Star CHASE, hospice care for children and teenagers of which Michael is a patron. Sweeney Todd opens at the Adelphi Theatre on March 20th to outstanding reviews: “Michael Ball dazzles as Sweeney Todd.” The Week April 15th 2012 Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton host the 2011 Olivier Awards at the Royal Opera House, their second year as co-presenters...Sweeney Todd continues through to September 22nd and wins the Evening Standard Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical. 2013: January 20th Michael’s new weekly radio show, ‘SUNDAY NIGHT WITH MICHAEL BALL’ premiered on BBC Radio 2. February 25th – Michael’s new album ‘BOTH SIDES NOW’ is released on Union Square Records and goes straight into the Top Ten.

April 15th to May 10th – Michael’s ‘Both Sides Now’ concert tour of the UK. April 28th – Michael wins the OLIVIER for Best Actor in a Musical for ‘Sweeney Todd’. May 13th – release of new single ‘Fight the Fight’ written by Tim Rice. Michael Ball has won critical and public acclaim over the last 25 years with his dynamic, award-winning lead roles in the West End and on Broadway. And, with his concurrent career as a multi-platinum recording artist, top selling live concert performer and radio and television broadcaster, the Olivier-Award winning Ball has been, for many years, in the enviable position of combining these individual aspects of showbusiness with continuing success.

Michael’s many West End credits include originating the role of Marius (Les Miserables); Giorgio (Stephen Sondheim’s Passion); Raoul (Phantom of the Opera),Alex (Aspects of Love, West End and Broadway), Caractacus Potts (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Count Fosco (Woman In White, West End and Broadway), Edna Turnblad (Hairspray, West End and on tour) for which he won the 2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor In A Musical, and Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Chichester and West End). Michael is a hugely successful concert artist; he has performed many times in theatres and venues across the UK as well as Australia, the US and the Far East. His many television shows have included Michael Ball, An Evening With Michael Ball, The Michael Ball Show and, for BBC Radio 2, Ball Over Broadway, Michael Ball’s Sunday Brunch and the 2012 six part series, Songwriting Partnerships.

In August 2007 Michael made his BBC Proms debut with An Evening With Michael Ball at the Royal Albert Hall which marked the first time a musical theatre star had been given a solo concert at the classical music festival. Michael also performed at the 10th anniversary concert of Les Miserables at the Royal Albert Hall and the show’s 25th anniversary concert at the 02 Arena. Michael will be as busy as ever in 2013… Q&A With Michael This question and answer session took place on 22 June 2006. If you have any specific questions that you'd like to ask of Michael for inclusion in the next Q and A session please email them to admin@mbfc.co.uk - thanks! Now you've conquered dancing in Chitty is it something we'll see much more of you doing? (How about following Lesley Garrett into the Strictly Come Dancing scene????????)from Elizabeth Lamb Not if I have anything to do with it! I don’t think it’s my natural… I love moving around the stage. I love getting into things. I’d love to be able to dance I really would.

But if the show came up that required it of course I would do it – or have a stunt double. I live in South Florida, but would travel anywhere in the US to see you. You are the best singer ever! Will you be coming to the US anytime soon? From Linda Sharf Not to perform at the moment, I have no plans at the moment to come and perform but of course I want to and we’re looking at doing some concerts there next year. Is it just a rumour, or is Andrew Lloyd Weber really working on a movie version of Aspects of Love? From Ella. I have no idea about this. He seems to be putting most of his stuff on film. Whether I would be involved? I think even with the best lighting in the world playing 17 year old Alex may now be a bit of a push. But who knows? Uncle George might be the role for me (laughter). Of all of his shows I think it would make the best film. Will you ever schedule a tour that would bring you to Seattle? All you would need do is sing a piece from Les Mis and hearts would melt everywhere! From Rosalee Mohney. What a lovely thing to say.

I’d love to go to Seattle. I’m a big fan of Frasier, you have the best coffee and apparently it rains almost as much as it does here in England, so I would feel very much at home and I now there is a great Seattle posse out there. So yeah I‘d love to come there. You are an amazing performer all around. I am aspiring to be an actor as well. Do you have any advice for me and others pursuing this career? From Forrest The only advice I can give anybody wanting to pursue a career in this business is - first of all develop a very thick skin, second work as hard as you can and do as much as you can in as many different fields as you can. And watch as much as you can, you learn so much from watching other people perform. That’s certainly what I did, and get as much experience as possible on stage, even amateur dramatics, putting on stuff with your friends, doing workshops, going to classes, whatever, and be prepared to face rejection because it happens to all of us whatever stage we are at in our careers, but when it works there is no better job in the world.

It isn’t a job it’s a joy, so go for your dreams always, even if they turn into nightmares (laughter) In some of your recordings, I detect a really sincere Country & Western feel-- and it's gorgeous. Would you ever consider doing a C&W album? From Ashley Hope. Well I did an album called This Time It’s Personal which had a lot of country and western kind of songs on it, and on a number of other albums there have been little nudges towards it. I love that kind of music - I make no bones about it. I ‘m a big big fan of country and western, so well spotted, yes I do lean towards that in quite a number of the vocal performances I do and will continue to do so. Michael I have seen you in concert and I think you have the most amazing voice. I have heard you sing some Elvis songs on your albums and was wondering if you have ever thought about singing American Trilogy as I think apart from the King you would be the only performer who could pull it off and do it justice. From Lynne Jennings Many thanks Lynne.

I’ve actually sung American Trilogy, not for years and years and it is the most phenomenal piece of music, so maybe you’ve put a good idea in my head, maybe I’ll revisit it at some point, it’s quite nerve wracking though when you try and sing a song that’s been done so definitely as American Trilogy has, but if enough people would like it and wouldn’t take the mickey out of me for doing it then maybe I’ll give it a go (laugh). Are you English or Welsh? It would be nice to think that an Englishman could have a voice like yours! From Reg. Alright let’s set the record straight. I’m Wenglish. (laughter). My mum is Welsh – and if you go by – I don’t know what the laws are but in the Jewish religion you take on whatever nationality or religion that the mother is. I’ve always had a huge affinity for Wales. Technically I’m not, I’m English, I am very proud to be British. I don’t think I am going to differentiate between the two unless it comes to rugby and war. If we go to war or we fight an international on the rugby pitches I’m a Welshman.

I am supporting the English football team – I don’t think there’s any point in supporting the Welsh at the moment, but I’m a big fan of watching the English football. But yeah I’m British but I have Welsh ancestry and I’m very proud of it, so I’m a Wenglishman. What is your favourite role that you've played? Where does being Marius rank on the list? From Clare Haley. Marius ranks really highly on the list because it was the first west end role that I did. It was such a well written part in such an extraordinary musical and to be the first person to get the opportunity to play it was a wonderful experience. I have to say for sheer joy nothing I think will beat Reginald Bunthorne in Patience. I have never had so much fun on the stage in my life, it was outrageous what I got away with and I’m so glad I did, it was hysterically funny. I’ve really been blessed. The full version of this question and answer session appeared in On The Ball. Enjolras | Les Misérables Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Enjolras was born into a wealthy family in 1806.

He believes in democracy and freedom and is willing to do anything to achieve it. Hugo tells the reader that Enjolras is a very charming young man who is also capable of being terrible. He is described as having blonde curls and blue eyes. Despite his good looks, however, he has no interest in women. After the death of General Lamarque , Enjolras and his followers take part in a rebellion that breaks out after soldiers fire on civilians during General Lamarque's funeral convoy. Victor Hugo writes: “Within less than an hour twenty-seven barricades had sprung up in the quarter of Les Halles alone. At the centre was the famous house no. 50 [should be 30] which became the fortress of the workers’ leader, Charles Jeanne , and his 106 followers.” The rebellion is very unsuccessful. On Enjolras's barricade, all but two people are killed (excluding the five insurgents Enjolras orders to leave out of necessity when it becomes clear that the barricade is doomed).

He is a passionate leader and fighter that cares about the people of France; when he is forced to shoot a man, he not only regrets it but the shooting of Le Cabuc is symbolic of Enjolras' capability of being terrible, as well as the Amis' realization that they're all going to die at the barricade. Les Amis de l'ABC Edit Enjolras is the passionate leader of Les Amis de l'ABC, a group of students dedicated to making political changes in France. In the musical he is shown to have a closer bond with his fellow revolutionaries, including young Gavroche . Enjolras devoutly believes in democratic freedom, which leads him into an argument with the Bonapartist Marius Pontmercy . Enjolras strives to realize democracy and equality. He declares "Patria" or "Homeland" as his mistress and only has eyes for his causes. This makes him a foil of the character Grantaire , who is cynical and believes in nothing (besides Enjolras himself). Despite the differences in their characters, Grantaire looks up to Enjolras.

June 5, 1832 Edit Enjolras, as he appears in the novel During the funeral of General Lamarque, a popular defender of the people, the monarchy dispatches troops to keep the peace. As shots are fired, Enjolras and the rest of the Friends of the ABC spring up and build a barricade outside of a wine shop in the rue Mondetour. They build the barricade out of common items, arm themselves and prepare for the coming fight. Gavroche points out that Javert , posing as a revolutionary, is actually a spy for the army. The men take Javert prisoner and tie him to a pole in the Corinth restaurant. After a revolutionary shoots an innocent bystander, Enjolras promptly executes him as penalty. It's mentioned that the executed revolutionary was not only Claquesous , one of the four heads of Patron-Minette , but that he had been hired to stir up anarchy amongst the revolutionaries. The students mourn the death of Mabeuf, who was shot attempting to return the red flag of the revolution to its post, having volunteered to do this task.

Enjolras gives Mabeuf a kiss on the forehead, and later on the hand - and Victor Hugo states that those are the only two kisses Enjolras has bestowed in his entire life. He then erects Mabeuf's coat in place of the flag to honor his courage. After discussing the matter, the students decide to keep Javert as a hostage. Enjolras sends five men away from the barricade, realizing that those at the barricade will die. Valjean arrives at the barricade. Enjolras orders Javert's execution following the execution of Jean "Jehan" Prouvaire at the hands of the National Guard; Valjean leads Javert away with permission to do this task and sets him free instead. Death Edit 2012 movie musical The barricades fall and as the army presses onwards, Enjolras retreats into the wine shop. He alone is left untouched by bullets and wounds, but with no other weapon in hand except for the barrel of his carbine. Enjolras himself told the National Guards to shoot him, throwing away the stump of his carbine, folded his arms and presented his breast.

Just before the guardsmen were about to shoot him, Grantaire, awakening from his drunken stupor, asks to be shot with Enjolras with the words: "Vive la république! I'm one of them." Enjolras has a sudden realization that Grantaire would rather die next to him than live without Enjolras; he takes Grantaire's hand and they're shot smiling while holding hands. The soldiers execute both of them. Enjolras, pierced by eight bullets, remained backed against the wall, as if the balls nailed him there. He only bowed his head. In the 2012 film, after he was shot by the soldiers, his body flung back and his foot, which was held on in the window, held and stopped his body from falling out the window down near the barricade. Musical Les Misérables (2012) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.

Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The decision changes their lives forever. Director: Watch the video Related News a list of 37 titles created 25 Sep 2012 a list of 23 titles created 02 Jan 2013 a list of 47 titles created 14 Nov 2015 a list of 37 titles created 8 months ago a list of 38 titles created 5 months ago Search for " Les Misérables " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 3 Oscars. Another 81 wins & 170 nominations. See more awards » Videos As the Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.

Director: Steven Spielberg A look at the relationship between the famous physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife. Director: James Marsh After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own. Director: David O. Russell A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger. Director: Ang Lee A silent movie star meets a young dancer, but the arrival of talking pictures sends their careers in opposite directions. Director: Michel Hazanavicius In New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction. Director: Lee Daniels The story of King George VI of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.

Director: Tom Hooper A committed dancer wins the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" only to find herself struggling to maintain her sanity. Director: Darren Aronofsky A New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks a million, but isn't bringing money, peace, or love... Director: Woody Allen A fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer. Director: Tom Hooper A linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Directors: Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland Stars: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him. Director: Scott Cooper Edit Storyline Jean Valjean, known as Prisoner 24601, is released from prison and breaks parole to create a new life for himself while evading the grip of the persistent Inspector Javert.

Set in post-revolutionary France, the story reaches resolution against the background of the June Rebellion. Written by Anonymous The Dream Lives This Christmas See more » Genres: Rated PG-13 for suggestive and sexual material, violence and thematic elements | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 25 December 2012 (USA) See more » Also Known As: $27,281,735 (USA) (28 December 2012) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia According to an interview between Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway , they agreed that Samantha Barks had weirdest vocal exercise; she would meow in different pitches and frequencies. See more » Goofs When a young child hops on the back of a horse drawn wagon, very clear views are given of the caliper disc brakes on the rear axle of the wagon. Brakes like this were not used until 1890 at the earliest. See more » Quotes Jean Valjean : Look down, look down, don't look them in the eye. Chain Gang: Look down, look down, you're here until you die. See more » Crazy Credits The film opens without any opening credits.

The title of the film is stated just before the closing credits. See more » Connections Breathtaking - A Musical with Heart 12 December 2012 | by antesdespues (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews I went to an awards screening of Les Miserables and left the cinema speechless. Tom Hooper's direction and the cinematography, costumes, art design and editing are nothing short of genius. Hooper's idea to have the actors sing live really brings a deeper emotion to the film not seen in other movie musicals. Hugh Jackman is absolutely incredible as Jean Valjean and carries the film with spectacular grace. Anne Hathaway is magnificent in her fleeting role as Fantine - the film's sequence in which she goes on a downward spiral is one of the it's best moments, and her ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE HEARTFELT rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream' will win her the Oscar by itself. Also, a great supporting turn from newcomer Samantha Barks as the heartbroken Eponine (look out for her waist - it's absolutely tiny!), who is sure to be shot into stardom.

Eddie Redmayne, Russell Crowe and Aaron Tveit are also good, and there's some great comedy relief from Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. It will leave you laughing, crying, and feeling inspired. A great watch, sure to win some major awards this year! 10/10! 364 of 526 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Les Misérables (1998) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Jean Valjean, a Frenchman imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a police officer named Javert. The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and soon Valjean finds himself in the midst of the ...

See full summary » Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 25 titles created 29 Sep 2011 a list of 22 titles created 04 Jan 2013 a list of 30 titles created 27 Feb 2013 a list of 26 titles created 01 Nov 2014 a list of 21 titles created 1 month ago Search for " Les Misérables " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Edit Storyline Jean Valjean, a Frenchman imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a police officer named Javert. The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and soon Valjean finds himself in the midst of the student revolutions in France. Written by Tim Kearns <tskearns@aol.com> The legend comes to life.

Genres: Rated PG-13 for violence, and for some sexual content | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 1 May 1998 (USA) See more » Also Known As: $5,011,840 (USA) (1 May 1998) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia This version concentrates on the story of Valjean and Javert, with less emphasis on the romance between Cosette and Marius. Thénardier, a key character in the novel, appears in just one scene; his daughter, Eponine, is only seen in the background. Many fans of the musical version bemoaned the loss of Eponine and her love triangle with Marius and Cosette. See more » Goofs When Fantine is sick and in bed, she coughs up blood and smears it on her face. In the next scene, no trace of blood is on her face. See more » Quotes Javert : [Valjean slams Javert against the wall, starts to put his own handcuffs on him] Where will you go, Valjean? You don't have papers.

Javert : [Valjean slams Javert's head against the wall once more] I'll find you... [another hit against the wall, Javert loses conciousness] Les Misérables | Welcome to the Official Website Site Map We use cookies and other technology that recognise you to improve your online experience. By using this site you consent to this use in our Cookie & Privacy Policy . © 2017 Cameron Mackintosh Overseas Limited. All rights reserved. Cosette logo and the words Les Misérables are the registered trademarks of Cameron Mackintosh Overseas Limited.

Question: One of Michel Ball's earliest roles was as 'Marius' in the original London production of which musical?
Answer: 'LES MISERABLES'